Flexible conduit structure



Aug. 2, 1932- r J. H. PHILLIPS FLEXIBLE CONDUIT STRUCTURE Fild D90. 29, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 2, 1932- J. H. PHILLHPS FLEXIBLE CONDUIT STRUCTURE 5 Sheets-finest 2 Filed Dec. 29. 1927 1932- J. H. PHILLIPS 1,870,021

FLEXIBLE CONDUIT STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 29. 1927 s Sheets-Sheet 5 Anmmmw 15 I v I Patented Aug. 2, 1932 UNITED STATES JOHN H. PHILLIPS, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN FLEXIBLE GONDUIT STRUCTURE Application filed December 29, 1927. Serial No. 243,328.

My invention relates to flexible conduit structures consisting of rigid metal elements flexibly articulated, and more particularly to a conduit structure suitable or connecting g together the train pipes on the adjacent cars or a railway train; and the primary object of the invention is to provide certain im provements on the structure described and claimed in Patent 1,547,402 for flexible pipe, granted to me July 28, 1925.

The invention is illustrated in certain preferred embodiments in the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a side view of a complete connection between the train pipes of adjacent railway cars, this figure being taken on line 11 of Fig. 2 and showing two conduit structure units, one on each of the train pipes to be connected.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the structures illustrated in Fig. 1 with the ends of the cars shown diagrammatically.

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing one of the cars only with the flexible conduit uncoupled.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional View of the flexible conduit, the coupler being omitted.

. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view on line 55 lot Fig. 4.

Fig.6 is a longitudinal sectional view on line 66 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view on line 7.7 of Fig. 4. i

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 4, illustrating a modification.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary side elevation with parts in section illustrating another modification.

49 Figs. 10 and 11 are detail longitudinal train pipe is designated 11a and provided with an end valve 10a. Each car is shown as provided with a flexible conduit structure in accordance with my present invention. Each of thesestructures is composed preferably of the following parts: a supporting member 13, an upper joint member 14, a pipe section 15, a lower joint member 16, and a coupling member 17, to which latter is secured a coupler :18 of any suitable type for mating with the coupler on the flexible conduit structure or rubber hose, as the case may be, on the train pipe of the adjacent car.

Each of the above enumerated members oi the flexible conduit structure is articulated with the adjacent member of the structure by a swivelled articulation consisting of inter-fitting sleeves or cylindrical bearing elements held in operative relation without substantial endwise pressure of one member against the other; the joint between the bearing elements being sealed by a gaske which is not clamped or compressed between the members of the flexible structure but is in a sense floating and is maintained in its sealing position in part by a spring but more firmly and effectively by the pressure of the fluid passing through the conduit.

The supporting member 13 has a threaded connection at 19 with the end valve casing 10 and is formed at its outer end with a cylindrical bearing element or sleeve 20 into which fits the nipple orbearing element 21 of the upper joint member 14, the latter being provided with a stop flange 22. In order to hold these two members together the supporting member is provided with a flange 23 to which is secured, by bolts 24, a bracket or yoke 25 formed, with a socket 26 into which fits a gudgeon 27 on the under side of the upper joint member 14, the socket 26 being preferably provided with a bushing 28'. The cylindrical bearing elements 20, 21 and the aligned gudgeon 27 and socket 26 are arranged on an axis which is inclined downwardly and backwardly away from the forward orlower end of the flexible pipe structure. This arrangement gives improved ease of movement of the parts of the structure when in'coupled relation with a flexible connector on an adjacent car, and minimizes the danger of breakage of the parts when the flexible pipe structure is uncoupled as will be the case at the rear end of the train. If the axis of the upper articulation be vertical the forces developed by relative movements as between the ends of the cars tend to twist or wrench the connections between the parts of the structure and to strain in particular the upper member thereof and its connection to the train pipe. This condition is made worse if the parts of the structure become rusted, with the result that certain parts are likely to be broken and the wear between all relatively movable parts is increased. By inclining the axis so that it approaches a right angle to a line drawn from the center of the joint to the center of the couplers, these destructive stresses are elimi nated.

The outer end of the nipple 21 is preferably bevelled as shown to provide an acute angle edge at the interior circumference of the nip ple. The gasket 29 is preferably cylindrical and is held in operative position against the bevelled edge of the nipple by means of a coiled spring 30. However, the spring is primarily for the purpose of keeping the gasket in place when the flexible structure is not under fluid pressure. lVhen steam is passing through the conduit it maintains the gasket in its sealing relation with the sleeves 20, 21. With the steam pressures ordinarily carried on steam train lines the pressure against the gasket is quite considerable and the sealing effect is enhanced by the beveled surfaces on the gasket and nipple 21 particularly as the heat of the steam tends to soften the gasket if made of the usual rubber composition. This is illustrated particularly in Figs. 10 and 11. lVhen the steam is turned on a new gasket will readily seat itself on the relatively narrow, though preferably chamfered edge of the nipple. With continued application of heat and pressure the gasket will flow down over the beveled face of the nipple the pressure tending to crowd the gasket both against the outer sleeve and also against the end of the nipple. Preferably the asket is armored with a flan ed metal ferrule 31.

The upper oint member 1-4 has two bends, as indicated in Figs. 4 and 6. The pipe section 15 is formed with elbow bends at its opposite ends. The upper end of member 15 is in the form of a sleeve or cylindrical bearing element 32 into which projects the nipple 33 of the upper joint member 14. The parts are maintained in operative relationship by a yoke or bracket member 34- formed with a socket 35 provided with a sleeve 36 to receive a gudgeon 37 on the upper joint member, the bracket 34 having a stud 38 which enters an opening 39 in a boss 40 formed on the pipe section 15 and being secured to the portion 41 of said boss by a screw 42. The relatively movable bearing elements 32, 33 are sealed by a gasket corresponding to the gasket 29 described.

The lower end of the pipe section 15 is formed with a bearing sleeve 43 to receive the nipple 44 on the lower oint member 16, the parts being kept in operative relationship by means of a bracket member 45, corresponding to the bracket member 34 described, provided with a socket- 46 for a gudgcon 47 on the lower joint member. The bearing elements 43, 44 are sealed by a gasket 48 which may be of the same construction as the gasket above re ferred to.

The outer or forward end of the lower joint member 16 is in the form of a bearing sleeve 49 which receives the nipple 50 on the end of the coupling member 17. The parts are sealed by a gasket 51. The coupling member 17 is provided with a stop flange 52 and with lugs 52a adapted to enter arcuate grooves 53 in the lower joint member 16. The members 16 and 17 are kept from disengagement by a cotter pin 54 which extends through a perforation in an upstanding lug 55 on member 16. At the same time member 17 can freely swivel on member 16.

In order to support the lower end of the flexible conduit structure (that is the lower joint member 16, coupling member 17 and coupler 18) when the structure is not coupled with the connecting pipe structure on another car, which is the case at the rear end of the last car of the train, a flexible sustaining device is provided constructed as follows: 56 is a coiled spring in which are arranged U-shaped links 57, 58, the ends of which are bent at 59, 60 to form hooks to engage the end turns of the spring 56. 61 is a. link having a hook 62 engaging the bend in the U-shaped link 58 and. a hook 63 to engage 'a perforated arm 64 formed on the upper joint member 14. 65 is a link having hook 66 engaging the bend of the U-shaped link 5'7 and provided at its other end with a hook 67 engagin a perforated arm 68 formed either on the lower oint member 16 or, which is preferable, on the coupling member 17. The

latter arrangement, which is shown in Figs.

1 and 4 is desirable because the sustaining device, in that case, tends to keep the coupler right side up, against rotation of the core pling member 17 on its swivel joint. In the case of certain types of couplers axial rota tion from their normal positions increases the likelihood of their being injured by the conlink being connected with a lug 72 on the joint member 16a instead of being connected with the coupling member.

Another modification is shown in Fig. 9. This construction assumes that the train pipe is provided with an angle cock 73 which form of end valve has been extensively used on the steam train pipes of railway cars. This necessitates a difi'erent form of supporting member which is designated 7 4 in Fig. 9, the member, however, being shaped so that the axis of the articulation between the supporting member and the upper joint member has substantially the same inclination as in the constructions shown in Figs. 1 to 8.

I claim:

1. In a flexible conduit structure, the combination of a vertical supporting member having a bearing sleeve inclined from the vertical, an upper joint member having a bearing sleeve interfitting with the aforesaid bearing sleeve, a lower joint member, a pipe section having elbow shaped ends, said joint members and pipe section having pairs of interfitting cylindrical bearing elements,

means for maintaining the aforesaid members in operative relationship with each other, without substantial endwise pressure of one against the 0ther,and a coupling member having a swivelled connection with the lower joint member.

2. In a metal conduit structure for flexibly connecting the train pipes of adjacent railway cars, the combination of a vertically disposed section, a joint member connected therewith and operable about an axis inclined from the vertical and extending backwardly relative to said vertical section, a forwardly inclined pipe section depending from and flexibly connected to said joint section, a lower joint section flexibly connected to the lower end of said pipe section, and a substantially horizontal section connected with said lower joint section.

3. A metallic conduit structure for flexibly connectingthe train pipes of adjacent railway cars, said structure comprising a plurality of metallic conduit sections flexibly articulated with one another, the uppermost section being supported from a railway car and the structure extending downwardly and forwardly to a lower end section adapted to be secured to a similar structure on an adjacent car, the axis of the articulation between the upper two sections being inclined downwardly and rearwardly away from the lower end section.

4. A metallic conduit structure for flexibly connecting the train pipes of adjacent railway cars, said structure comprising a plurality of metallic conduit sections flexibly articulated with one another, the uppermost section being supported from a railway car and the structure extending downwardly and forwardly to a lower end section adapted to be secured to a similar structure on an adjacent car, the articulation between the upper two sections comprising a pair of interfitting cylindrical bearing elements arranged on an axis inclined from the vertical in a direct-ion extending downwardly and rearwardly away from the lower end of the structure.

JOHN H. PHILLIPS. 

